First Poll Released Since Second Presidential Debate Reveals Where Voters Stand

After a whirlwind weekend in which Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was reviled by his fellow Republicans for lewd comments in an 11-year-old video and then hailed for his strong showing at the second presidential debate, a new poll has taken the measure of how the fast-paced developments moved the needle on the presidential race.

In short: A video expected to kill Trump’s candidacy has been seemingly shrugged off by the voters.

Last week, Trump was trailing Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton by about five points in some polls.

Coming after a weekend in which some high-profile Republicans pushed for Trump to leave the presidential ticket due to comments he made in a 2005 video that was leaked on Friday, the poll showed that 75 percent of all voters, and 76 percent of Republicans, believe the GOP is divided.

However, despite near-unanimous condemnation of Trump for his remarks, 77 percent of Republicans polled want the Republican Party to remain behind him, and only 13 percent agreed with calls for Trump to drop out.

“I think for the most part he’s not really that way. That was more of a one time kind of thing, he’s very upholding of women now,” said Katelynn Lamoreaux, a Penn State freshman, who said she has male friends and understands the “aspect of it.”

Trending Stories

Lamoreaux added that the election is not about Trump’s past, but America’s future.

“I would say it’s in the past, it’s not something to focus on now. Focus on his policies, how he’s going to fix the country, how he’s going to change the country. Because the aspect of it that we need to worry about,” she said.

Chris Baker, a Trump supporter, said the lack of support from GOP party leaders is nothing new for Trump.

“He won despite their lack luster support of him, I don’t think it will change his course, he’s still running the same he has,” Baker said.